FAA shutdown averted

The fate of the Federal Aviation Administration remained in the hands of one combative senator — Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn — as the clock ticked on a deal that would prevent a Friday night shutdown of the agency.

But on Thursday evening, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced a deal had been reached with Coburn, averting both a weekend session and a repeat of this summer, when a partial FAA shutdown put thousands of aviation workers around the country out of work.

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Coburn on FAA extension

POLITICO 44

Only six senators, Coburn and five other Republicans, voted no on the transportation package.

“Righteousness has prevailed,” said Sen. Jim Inhofe, a fellow Oklahoma Republican who helped negotiate the deal.

Even though both parties in both chambers had signed off on an agreement this week, Coburn said he’d drawn a “line in the sand” over what he saw as wasteful spending in legislation that would temporarily extend funding for the FAA and transportation projects. And he had threatened to block the bill unless he got his way.

But under Thursday’s agreement, Coburn will be allowed to insert language into a longer-term highways bill that Democrats and Republicans will negotiate before the new round of funding expires in six months. Coburn’s provision would allow states to opt out of a program requiring them to set aside millions of dollars for beautification projects like bike paths, sound walls and decorative highway signs.

The conservative Oklahoma senator — known for singlehandedly holding up Senate business — had come under increasing pressure from his GOP colleagues and eventually relented. Earlier Thursday, they said he was demanding too much on a bill that was passed Tuesday by the Republican-controlled House and was being rushed through the Senate.

“I don’t think you can ever require acceptance of something in a 100-person body,” said Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, the top Republican on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. She said she didn’t think Coburn could “ask for the amendment to be accepted without a vote” and said, “I want FAA to pass without any delays. It’s too costly.”

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), a freshman moderate, said he didn‘t want to see a second shutdown and backed a temporary extension similar to the bill that the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), helped shepherd through the House.

“We need to reduce spending and cut out special interest provisions, but we should not let a gap in the construction program go forward,” said Kirk, whose state is home to the bustling O’Hare International Airport. “The economy is already teetering on the edge of a recession. So Congress should not repeat what happened with the FAA in August.”

The lines in the sand have to stop! This is causing the lack of confidence. The American people need confidence in our government and that is the only thing that will turn things around. I suggest that all of congress start to find things they agree on and start making things happen and stop the negativity. We all understand we cannot have everything we want. Compromise is not about giving up your values, it’s about finding solutions we can all live with. These lines in the sand have caused many like me to believe republicans want failure because it is causing it. Congress needs to put the people over party and do what you can to gain the peoples confidence by working together and everything else will fall into place.

Hutchison is the biggest backer of subsidizing the failed AMTRAK system...so getting a comment from this big spending RINO means nothing to me. I think Coburn should stand up to the RINOS and REID...they are peas in a pod. Reagan stood the entire FAA flight controllers union down but don't count on our big-talking pseudo-conservatives in the Senate to do anything but grovel at Reid's feet.

It's the larding-up that's been the GOP watchword for a generation. This is a classic red herring and another attempt to flex muscles against labor. As #3 points out, it's over the unionization of Delta.

It's ludicrous that the GOP does so much to kill worker rights when it was the GOP members who failed at bargaining -- yes failed. Every past contract had two parties, and any provisions considered "noncompetitive" are as much the fault of the paying management as they are of the workers. But it's not a surprise -- the GOP has been filled with spoilt, incompetent children for a generation and they'd kill rather than not get their way. Coburn's action is no different -- kill revenues to the FAA just to make a point.

I'm sure that the good people of Oklahoma, who disappoint me by supporting this lard-er, can tick off PLENTY of examples of larding-up that Coburn's put into bills over the years, just like everyone else in Congress.

Lots of union members on here today...must be taling that mandatory donut break. Coburn is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT to insist that all the extra expensive crapolla be dropped from this bill. The FAA doesn't care about beautification or bike paths...why do YOU people? I know from seeing you on TV you sure don't ride a bicycle!

I'm sure that the good people of Oklahoma, who disappoint me by supporting this lard-er, can tick off PLENTY of examples of larding-up that Coburn's put into bills over the years, just like everyone else in Congress.

Coburn wants to make Brownie point's, fine. Here's how. Take the FAA Bill that he hates so much and instead of the directed funding going to the bike path and sound-proof wall way, have the money for those projects RE-PAID INTO THE SOCIAL SECURITY TRUST FUND. He wants to really be the one to vote against that idea ? Please, give me a call and 10 minutes headstart with my videocam outside of Coburn's office. I wanna be the 1 guy with a video of Coburn getting the crap beat out of him by a bunch of senior citizens who tell him exactly what they think of him and his politics. And given McConnell's remarks here, I don't really see Mitch jumping in to save Coburn from the butt whooping he's going to have brought on himself, not to mention the Oklahoma Republican's. And I'll take even money on the 'pool' on the Hill that Coburn's gonna start calling for more Capitol Police right before this vote is taken too.